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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pop — music
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com